The Most Famous

ACTORS from Egypt

This page contains a list of the greatest Egyptian Actors. The pantheon dataset contains 13,578 Actors, 16 of which were born in Egypt. This makes Egypt the birth place of the 48th most number of Actors behind Croatia, and Algeria.

Top 10

The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the top 10 most legendary Egyptian Actors of all time. This list of famous Egyptian Actors is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography's online popularity. Visit the rankings page to view the entire list of Egyptian Actors.

1. Omar Sharif (1932 - 2015)

With an HPI of 78.05, Omar Sharif is the most famous Egyptian Actor. His biography has been translated into 81 different languages on wikipedia.

Omar Sharif (Arabic: عمر الشريف, Egyptian Arabic: [ˈʕomɑɾ eʃʃɪˈɾiːf]; born Michel Yusef Dimitri Chalhoub [miˈʃel dɪˈmitɾi ʃælˈhuːb]; 10 April 1932 – 10 July 2015) was an Egyptian actor, generally regarded as one of his country's greatest male film stars. He began his career in his native country in the 1950s. He is best known for his appearances in American, British, French, and Italian productions, and has been described as "the first Egyptian and Arab to conquer Hollywood". His career encompassed over 100 films spanning 50 years, and brought him many accolades including three Golden Globe Awards and a César Award for Best Actor. Sharif played opposite Peter O'Toole as Sherif Ali in the David Lean epic Lawrence of Arabia (1962), which earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor, and portrayed the title role in Lean's Doctor Zhivago (1965), earning him the Golden Globe for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama. He continued to play romantic leads, in films like Funny Girl (1968) and The Tamarind Seed (1974), and historical figures like the eponymous characters in Genghis Khan (1965), The Mamelukes (1965) and Che! (1969). His acting career continued well into old age, with a well-received turn as a Muslim Turkish immigrant in the French film Monsieur Ibrahim (2003). He made his final film appearance in 2015, the year of his death. Sharif spoke five languages: Arabic, English, French, Italian and Spanish. He bridled at travel restrictions imposed by the government of Egyptian president Gamal Abdel Nasser, leading to self-exile in Europe. He was a lifelong horse racing enthusiast, and at one time ranked among the world's top contract bridge players. He was the recipient of high civil honors from multiple countries, including the Egyptian Order of Merit and the French Legion of Honour. He was one of only 25 grantees of UNESCO's Sergei Eisenstein Medal, in recognition of his significant contributions to world film and cultural diversity.

2. Faten Hamama (1931 - 2015)

With an HPI of 68.51, Faten Hamama is the 2nd most famous Egyptian Actor. Her biography has been translated into 37 different languages.

Faten Ahmed Hamama (Arabic: فاتن حمامة, pronounced [ˈfæːten ħæˈmæːmæ] ; 27 May 1931 – 17 January 2015) was an Egyptian film and television actress and film producer. She made her screen debut in 1939, when she was only seven years old. Her earliest roles were minor, but her activity and gradual success helped to establish her as a distinguished Egyptian actress. Later revered as an icon in Egyptian cinema. In 1996, nine of the films she starred in were included in the Top hundred films in the history of Egyptian cinema by the cinema critics of Cairo International Film Festival. She was the first wife of Ezz El-Dine Zulficar. After a seven-year hiatus from acting, Hamama returned in 2000 in what was a much anticipated television series, Wageh El Amar (وجه القمر, Face of the Moon). Hamama substantially helped in improving the cinema industry in Egypt and emphasizing the importance of women in cinema and Egyptian society. In 2000, she was selected as Star of the Century by the Egyptian Writers and Critics organization.

3. Marika Rökk (1913 - 2004)

With an HPI of 64.45, Marika Rökk is the 3rd most famous Egyptian Actor. Her biography has been translated into 33 different languages.

Marika Rökk (German: [ma.ˈʁiː.ka ˈʁœk] ; born Marie Karoline Rökk, 3 November 1913 – 16 May 2004) was a German-Austrian dancer, singer and actress of Hungarian descent who gained prominence in German films in the Nazi era. She resumed her career in 1947 and was one of Europe's most famous operetta singers, performing onstage until 1986.

4. Adel Emam (b. 1940)

With an HPI of 63.16, Adel Emam is the 4th most famous Egyptian Actor. His biography has been translated into 24 different languages.

Adel Mohammed Emam (Arabic: عادل إمام; born on 17 May 1940), is an Egyptian film, television, and stage actor, known for his extensive career with over 150 artistic works, including films, plays, and television series spanning comedy, social, and political genres. He is regarded as one of the leading figures of the second generation of comedy artists in Egypt and the Arab world. He is primarily a comedian, but he has starred in more serious works and, combined comedy with romance especially in his earlier secondary roles in films such as My Wife, the Director General, My Wife's Dignity, My Wife's Goblin and Virgo, all films starring Salah Zulfikar. Emam stands as a towering figure in Egyptian and Arab cinema, celebrated for his versatility across genres. Starting in the 1960s, he became one of the most well-known figures in the industry. Emam earned a bachelor's degree in Agriculture from Cairo University. Since then he has appeared in over 103 movies and 10 plays. Emam's personal life is connected to the world of arts. He is married to Hala El-Shalaqani and has three children, including director Ramy Emam and actor Mohamed Emam. His contributions to the Egyptian film industry and theatre through addressing social and political issues in film and television earned him a cult following and a worldwide reputation that made him one of the most influential Arab public figures in the 1980s and 1990s. Consequently, he is considered by a huge mass of cult followers as a cultural icon in the history of modern Egypt. Emam has received critical acclaim and international recognition, including Lifetime Achievement Awards and accolades from major festivals. Beyond acting, Emam is known for challenging societal norms and reflecting the culture of his time. His work remains influential, highlighting his lasting impact in a changing world. In January 2000, the United Nations appointed Emam as a Goodwill Ambassador for UNHCR.

5. Soad Hosny (1943 - 2001)

With an HPI of 62.58, Soad Hosny is the 5th most famous Egyptian Actor. Her biography has been translated into 25 different languages.

Soad Mohammad Kamal Hosny (Arabic: سُعاد حسني, pronounced [soˈʕæːd ˈħosni]; 26 January 1943 – 21 June 2001) was an Egyptian actress. She was known as the "Cinderella of the Screen" and one of the most influential actresses in the Middle East and the Arab world. She is generally regarded as one of Egypt's most iconic female performers of the 20th-century, who played leading roles for many of the country's top directors, in a career spanning 83 films between 1959 and 1991, garnering several national and international accolades. Born in the Boulaq district of Cairo to an artistic family. Her father is Mohamed Hosni, who was one of the best Egyptian calligraphers. She is the sister of the singer Nagat El-Sagheera. She worked in the Egyptian Radio as a young child with Baba Sharo and was introduced for Film industry by Abdel Rahman El Khamisi. Her film debut was Hassan and Naima (1959), and she quickly rose to stardom at the end of the 1950s, performing in more than 83 films between 1959 and 1991 with nine films in the greatest 100 films in the history of Egyptian cinema. A majority of her films were shot in the 1960s and 1970s. Her notable films include; Money and Women (1960), A Date at the Tower (1962), Too Young for Love (1966), Cairo 30 (1966), The Second Wife (1967), Sunset and Sunrise (1970), The Choice (1971), Those People of the Nile (1972), Where is My Mind? (1974), Amira, My Love (1974), Whom Should We Shoot? (1975), Karnak (1975), Shafika and Metwali (1979), The Savage (1979), People on the Top (1981), A Dinner Date (1981), Al Qadisiyya (1981), A Stranger in My House (1982), Love in a Jail Cell (1983) and The Hunger (1986). Her 1972 film Watch Out For Zouzou, is widely considered her most famous film, to the point that many people gave her the nickname “Zouzou", her character's name. Her final screen appearance was in the 1991 film,The Shepherd and the Women, directed by her ex-husband Ali Badrakhan.

6. Shadia (1931 - 2017)

With an HPI of 62.08, Shadia is the 6th most famous Egyptian Actor. Her biography has been translated into 29 different languages.

Fatma Ahmad Kamal Shaker (Arabic: فاطمة أحمد كمال شاكر; 8 February 1931 – 28 November 2017), better known by her stage name Shadia (Arabic: شادية, Shādya), was an Egyptian actress and singer. She was famous for her roles in light comedies and drama in the 1950s and 1960s. She was the third wife of Salah Zulfikar. Shadia was one of the iconic actresses and singers in Egypt and the Middle East region and a symbol of the golden age of Egyptian cinema and is known of her many patriotic songs. Shadia's films and songs are popular in Egypt and all the Arab world. Critics consider her the most successful comprehensive Egyptian and Arabic artist of all time. Her first appearance in a film was in "Azhar wa Ashwak" (Flowers and Thorns), and her last film was "La Tas'alni Man Ana" (Don't Ask Me Who I Am). She is also known for her patriotic song "Ya Habibti Ya Masr" (Oh Egypt, My Love.) Her breakthrough leading role came in the 1959 Egyptian film "Al Maraa Al Maghoula" (The Unknown Woman) directed by Mahmoud Zulfikar. Six of her movies are listed in the top 100 Egyptian movies of the 20th century. In April 2015, Shadia became the first actress to be awarded an honorary doctorate by the Egyptian Academy of Arts. She was given the nickname "Idol of the Masses" following her successful movie "Ma'budet el Gamahir" (Idol of the Masses). Other notable nicknames include "The Guitar of the Egyptian Singing" (Arabic: جيتارة الغناء) and "The Golden Guitar" (Arabic: الجيتارة الذهبية).

7. Zubaida Tharwat (1940 - 2016)

With an HPI of 59.31, Zubaida Tharwat is the 7th most famous Egyptian Actor. Her biography has been translated into 17 different languages.

Zubaida Ahmed Tharwat (Arabic: زبيدة أحمد ثروت; 15 June 1940 – 13 December 2016), was an Egyptian film, stage and television actress. She started her acting career in 1956, and quickly rose to stardom in Egypt. After six years hiatus in the 1960s, she returned to acting in 1969, and retired from acting in the 1980s. Tharwat was known as "the most beautiful eyes in classic Egyptian cinema". Tharwat was born into a prominent Egyptian family in Alexandria. After graduating from the University of Alexandria in 1951, she won a beauty contest in an Egyptian teen magazine in 1955, which widely published her photograph and brought her attention of filmmakers in Egyptian film Industry. Tharwat made her film debut in Dalila (1956) and gained stardom from her roles in Hekayt 3 Banat (1957), El-Malak el-Sagheir (1957), and Bent 17 (1958). During the late 1950s, Tharwat established herself as a leading lady and one of the era's top stars with films like A'ashat lelhob (1959), Shams La Tagheeb (1959), Ehtrsi mn el-Hob (1959). She starred in Inni Attahem (1960), opposite Salah Zulfikar, Youm min Omri (1961), opposite Abdel Halim Hafez, followed by There is a Man in our House (1961), opposite Omar Sharif, and all films were commercially successful. After seven years hiatus from film, she returned by starring in How to Get Rid of Your Wife (1969). In the 1970s, she also had notable roles in; El-Hob El-Daea (1970), The Other Man (1973), and The Guilty (1975).

8. Hind Rostom (1929 - 2011)

With an HPI of 59.26, Hind Rostom is the 8th most famous Egyptian Actor. Her biography has been translated into 17 different languages.

Hind Hussain Mohammed or Nariman Hussein Murad, more commonly known by her stage name Hind Rostom, (Arabic: هند رستم pronounced [ˈhende ˈɾostom]; November 12, 1929 – August 8, 2011) was an Egyptian actress and is considered one of the icons in the Egyptian cinema, as she was mainly known for her sensual roles. Her physical appearance earned her the name Marilyn Monroe of the east ("مارلين مونرو الشرق"). Hind Rostom starred in more than 80 movies in her career.

9. Taheyya Kariokka (1915 - 1999)

With an HPI of 57.38, Taheyya Kariokka is the 9th most famous Egyptian Actor. Her biography has been translated into 15 different languages.

Taheyya Kariokka (Arabic: تحية كاريوكا) also Tahiya Carioca (born Badaweya Taheyya Mohamed Ali Elnedany Kareem (Arabic: بدوية تحية محمد علي النيداني كريم)), (February 22, 1915 – September 20, 1999) was an Egyptian belly dancer and film actress.

10. Nadia Gamal (1937 - 1990)

With an HPI of 57.24, Nadia Gamal is the 10th most famous Egyptian Actor. Her biography has been translated into 20 different languages.

Nadia Gamal (Arabic: نادية جمال, 1937 – 1990) was an Egyptian dancer and actress. She is known of mixing local Egyptian belly dance with Western Waltz, Cowboy, Cha Cha and other.

People

Pantheon has 16 people classified as Egyptian actors born between 1913 and 1991. Of these 16, 5 (31.25%) of them are still alive today. The most famous living Egyptian actors include Adel Emam, Mena Massoud, and Julian Fellowes. The most famous deceased Egyptian actors include Omar Sharif, Faten Hamama, and Marika Rökk. As of April 2024, 16 new Egyptian actors have been added to Pantheon including Omar Sharif, Faten Hamama, and Marika Rökk.